Seven years might not seem like a long time. But in the case of St. Augustine’s annual Big Trunk Show, it’s just long enough to make this showcase of local designers and their wares feel like an essential staple of the local holiday season.

Want to get your hands of vintage upcycled jewelry? The Trunk Show’s got you covered. Looking for custom clothing designs so fresh they may only be printed once? The Trunk Show affords you the opportunity to watch a T-shirt go from basic and blank to banging and blinged-out right before your eyes. Hoping to accessorize with holiday trimmings that, in a couple of years, might show up on the radars of major fashion-forward outlets like Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters? The Trunk Show will be happy to oblige.

Drift caught up with Trunk Show founder and organizer Greg Dettra to talk about the event’s evolution, this year’s lineup of exhibitors, and the chance to score one-of-a-kind swagger years before anyone else.

Drift: What’s new with the Big Trunk Show this year, Greg?

Greg Dettra: There isn’t too much different. We always get a few new designers, and this year we have about five or six. But it’ll still be the same format at the same venue, Cafe Eleven.

Drift: With multiple designers participating in the Trunk Show since its inception, you guys must be doing something right.

GD: Absolutely. And the designers that keep coming back really seem to be progressing. They don’t show the same stuff — they evolve every year and everything changes.

Drift: Last year, the Occupy Wall Street and 99% movements provided a nice backdrop to the Trunk Show’s “shop local” ethos. Do you think that mentality has lessened this year? Or is it still at the forefront?

GD: It is. Small Business Saturday is another thing that’s building momentum and getting a lot of people behind it: Don’t go to the big chains because they have the lowest prices. Instead, go to the people who are dedicated to your city and are true artisans. Those are the people who really need to be supported. Wal-Mart and Target are going to survive no matter what; the people who are trying to change the stigma and encourage that buy local thing are the ones that really need help.

Drift: Which leads right into the Trunk Show’s purpose, right?

GD: A lot of these exhibitors don’t have those big avenues to sell through. So this is the one chance they get to really connect with people and show what they do. It’s funny, too; as my company, Paper Root Clothing, grows each year and I start working with bigger companies, I see how those cogs work and talk to people who tell me the trade secrets. And it’s the little companies and small brands you see at places like the Trunk Show that big stores like Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters get their concepts from. They’ll see somebody making jewelry out of guitar strings and they’ll blow that idea up to a massive scale. Most people think, “Oh, Anthropologie started that whole trend!” But no, it was somebody in a small town who had their idea copied.

Drift: You and Hugh Ward, who runs Classic Blends and spins as DJ Hu, have worked together on several Trunk Shows now. Is that blend of fashion and entertainment going well?

GD: Hugh’s been great. He’s good with people and good at keeping the party going, so it’s great to have him involved. I actually hired him at Paper Root five or six months ago and it’s been awesome. He’s connected to the hip-hop industry, so he’s connected us with a couple of people so that we can grow more in that direction.

Drift: You always run a custom T-shirt printing booth at the Trunk Show. How cool is that for attendees to see something created in front of their eyes?

GD: The whole reason I do it is because most people don’t understand what goes into making a T-shirt. The whole process is awesome to watch: moving the screen, pushing ink through the screen, leaving it only where the image area is… People might not necessarily love the designs I’m putting out, but they really want to be connected to something like that, which ties into the whole scene of the Trunk Show. You can see something that you’re connected to, as opposed to just grabbing it off the shelf. I also try to go through my old designs to put stuff up for that night that I’ll never use again. So those who do get a shirt will get a product that will never be made again and that nobody else will have unless they got it from the Trunk Show.

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The Big Trunk Show will be from 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, at Cafe Eleven, 501 A1A Beach Blvd. For information, call 904-460-9311.

Indi Loves Harlie: Kelly Holleran of St. Augustine Beach created Indi Loves Harlie in 2008 and produces fun, playful creations by adding hand-stitched designs to recycled T-shirts, dresses, and sweaters. Many of Holleran’s creations are inspired St. Augustine’s natural and nautical surroundings, but all of them are aesthetically divine. www.Facebook.com/pages/Indi-Loves-Harlie/43340016602

Jbon Clothing: A hip-hop-oriented streetwear company out of Central Florida, Flagler graduate Jay Bonadio’s Jbon Clothing line has been spotted on the likes of countless famous rappers. Jbon’s designs are loud, proud, and straight from the underground and will have you looking good late into the night. www.JbonClothing.com

Laurel Baker Jewelry: North Florida native Laurel Baker crafts one-of-a-kind jewelry from native Florida gems and stones, vintage accessories, and found objects. Baker’s downtown Anchor Boutique opened on St. George Street in 2010 and has become a regular gathering place for art exhibits and musical events. Also, Baker designs for Urban Outfitters and will be featured in the January 2013 issue of Southern Living. www.AnchorBoutique.com

Standard Collective: Owned and operated by Central Florida’s Tony Soland, Standard Collective is both a boutique in Melbourne and a clothing line whose goal is to inspire and educate through its passion for a better life. Skateboarding, painting, surfing, music, graphic design, and giving back all go into Standard Collective’s clothing, which is created and curated with love. www.TheStandardCollective.com

ReUsed: Jacksonville company started by Robyn Crews that specializes in eco-friendly pillowcases, wallets, and dresses made from recycled materials. ReUsed’s designs look anything but vintage though, instead giving off a fun, pastel-drenched, and design-heavy vibe. www.AKAGraphicsAndDesign.com/reused/reused_home.html

Classic Blends: Part DJ service, part promotions company, part lifestyle brand, all cool — Trunk Show co-organizer and St. Augustine entertainment kingpin Hugh Ward has been playing the Classic Blends brand for almost a decade. And that work hard, play hard ethos is evidenced in Classic Blends’ fresh threads. www.Facebook.com/ClassicBlends

Sunisha Designs: A new exhibitor, Jacksonville’s Manisha S. Joshi has done a little bit of everything: marketing and public relations for the PGA Tour, volunteer work for the American Red Cross, even self-publishing several books. But now that native of India she makes handcrafted handbags, stationery, and bridal accessories, among many other things. Joshi also runs a boutique in Jax, supports several local charities, and still writes for a variety of publications. www.SunishaDesigns.com

Off The Hook Crocheted Creations: Local artisan Courtney Murr crochets beautiful scarves, hats, and other accoutrements, selling them online, at The Closet on Cordova Street, and at the Lincolnville Market. If you want to look good and stay warm this winter, Murr has the one-of-a-kind creation for you. www.Facebook.com/OffTheHookCrochetedCreations

Willow Boutique: Founded in 2006 by Brianna Oxhandler, Willow Boutique is located in the ground floor of the Wachovia Building, St. Augustine’s tallest structure, right in the heart of the action on Cathedral Place. But Willow offers much more than just an appealing location, earning rave reviews online for its eclectic women’s apparel and “bohemian chic” atmosphere. Add in a funky jewelry selection — including Oxhandler’s necklaces fashioned from recycled bullets and rough crystals — and top-notch customer service and you get one of downtown’s most up-and-coming small businesses. www.Facebook.com/WillowBoutiqueInc

Peaceful Minds Jewelry: Lisa Autrey is well-known to local surfers — her father Burgess has been a shaper and contest director for decades, and her brother Josh is a fine surfer and boardbuilder in his own right. But Lisa’s racking up her own accolades with Peaceful Minds Jewelry Design, which reflects her Native American roots, spiritual beliefs, and love of surfing and yoga. www.PeacefulMindsJewelry.blogspot.com

Bofresco: Jacksonville’s Bofresco collective, founded by three longtime friends and hip-hop heads, takes things right back to the street. An art and culture collective that produces wicked cool T-shirts and outerwear, Bofresco celebrates graffiti, sneaker, and b-boy culture, teaming up with DJs, skateboarders, and breakdancers for Artist Series collaborations. www.Bofresco.com

Honeywell: Flagler graduate Kristen Adamcyzk started Honeywell after moving back to St. Augustine from her native New Jersey and putting her thrifting, sewing, and embroidering skills to work. Today, Honeywell produces handmade clothes repurposed from tablecloths, curtains, and other upcycled fabric. Adamcyzk is also an embroidery expert, displaying her quilts and collages at Anchor Boutique last month.

Kingdom Clothing: UK native, Jacksonville resident, and military veteran James “Defvandal” Watson founded Kingdom Clothing Co to espouse a message of positive spirituality rooted in the hip-hop, graffiti, and breakdancing cultures. “His whole thing is very spiritual,” Trunk Show organizer Greg Dettra says. “I won’t say it’s necessarily Christian, but it answers to a higher power thing. So it’s really cool designs that have a good message behind them.” www.KingdomClothingCo.com

Scarf Secret: Although the Internet doesn’t yield many results for Meeka Cook’s company Scarf Secret, she very nearly hit the big time, advancing to the final round before a television appearance on ABC reality show “Shark Tank.” “She told me her whole line is scarves with different prints holding them together, so I’m interested to see her stuff in person,” Dettra says. “You’ve gotta be good to get that close to going on the show.”

Nicole DiGiacomo: Under her own name and the moniker Bluccello, DeLand native and current Jacksonville resident Nicole DiGiacomo produces whimsical T-shirts and outerwear, handbags in every print under the sun, and jewelry in a wide variety of materials and designs. www.NicoleDiGiacomo.com